THE National Police Commission (Napolcom) in Negros Island Region (NIR) will conduct an investigation on the alleged involvement of policemen in illegal drugs.
Lawyer Joseph Celis, chief of Napolcom-NIR, said it is their mandate to conduct the necessary action against “narco-policemen.”
Celis, however, said he cannot divulge specific details on the investigation.
He added that the revelations of the region’s top drug suspect Ricky Serenio might be true.
In his sworn statement, Serenio, who is believed to be the bagman of Berya drug group, has named several policemen and other law enforcers who are receiving protection money.
So far, 40 policemen were already relieved from Bacolod City and Negros Occidental and most of them were transferred to Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and Cordillera Administrative Region.
“Our ranks should be clear,” Celis said, adding that they should be objective in their course of action for the welfare of the society.
The Police Regional Office-18 is also continuously conducting an investigation and validation on the involvement of the region’s police personnel.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in NIR is also conducting an investigation following the allegations of Serenio that some of its personnel are also receiving protection money from their group.
PDEA-NIR Director Roselyn Borja, who met with Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. along with Senior Superintendent William Señoron, acting director of provincial police, at the Provincial Capitol Wednesday, said those who were implicated by Serenio were placed at the administrative holding unit of the Administrative and Human Resource Service at the national headquarters.
Serenio, in his affidavit, alleged that five PDEA agents are receiving protection money ranging from P10,000 to P20,000 every week from their group.
Borja said the said PDEA personnel are “presumed innocent until proven guilty. We have to observe due process.”
She added that they will be dismissed from the service should they found guilty of grave misconduct.
